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High blood sugar readings

H

HLW

Well-Known Member
Messages
723
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
What should I do if I have a high blood test reading but no ketones in urine? (type 1, insulin) Just tested and it was 20.9, seems rather high, but I feel okish (well not really but I have a cold/cough, and don't feel any worse than I normally do with a cold/cough). Do I need to do anything or just wait till next insulin with next meal?

I suspect it is high because I stopped taking metformin (2g slow release) on Wednesday, but haven't increased the amount of insulin yet. I have an appointment tomorrow with the diabetic clinic to talk about this.
 
Hi HLW. If I get a higher than normal BM I wash my hands and try again. It can sometimes make a difference. AND I get different readings from both hands. :shock: Having a cold can increase blood glucose readings too. It's good that you're going to your diabetic clinic. They'll be able to put you right. Good Luck!! :D :D
SUE X
 
The nurse at the diabetic clinic was very helpful, she explained how and when to adjust both types on insulin. I suppose they don't tell you all this at the start when they first prescribe insulin in case it is too much information at once?
 
I think they don't tell you because they don't know!
Never mind too much info at once. I've had type 1 since 1987 and it was only in January this year when I did the Dafne course that I was told how to match my insulin to my food and how to work out correction doses. Most of the consultants at my hospital aren't Dafne trained so they never really mention mealtime insulin and just seem to concentrate on random meddlings with my background insulin. No good can come of that, in my experience, so I just stick with what I learnt on Dafne. I test before I eat anything, and if my blood sugar is high I take 1 extra unit per 3mmol reduction in blood sugar. So if I was at 20 I would take 5 extra units to try and get it down to 5ish. But obviously the ratio will be different in different people and there's a lot of trial and error involved. You probably have a higher insulin to carbs ratio when you're ill though. Hope you feel better soon :-)
 
The diabetes nurse told me that too, 1 unit per 3mmol/l reduction. She said she'll go over carb counting next week, I think that'll be helpful.

badmedisin said:
Hope you feel better soon :-)
Click to expand...
Been over a week so far! and this is the second really bad cold I've had in 3 weeks! my immune system seems to be attacking my pancreas ok so why doesn't it work on colds too! so tiresome!
 
badmedisin said:
I think they don't tell you because they don't know!
Never mind too much info at once. I've had type 1 since 1987 and it was only in January this year when I did the Dafne course that I was told how to match my insulin to my food and how to work out correction doses. Most of the consultants at my hospital aren't Dafne trained so they never really mention mealtime insulin and just seem to concentrate on random meddlings with my background insulin. No good can come of that, in my experience, so I just stick with what I learnt on Dafne. I test before I eat anything, and if my blood sugar is high I take 1 extra unit per 3mmol reduction in blood sugar. So if I was at 20 I would take 5 extra units to try and get it down to 5ish. But obviously the ratio will be different in different people and there's a lot of trial and error involved. You probably have a higher insulin to carbs ratio when you're ill though. Hope you feel better soon :-)
Click to expand...

I agree with badmedisin's comments totally. I was diagnosed in 1986 and despite almost 25 years of chronic hypo's and chronic high's too, I discovered for myself to inject my long acting insulin twice a day instead of once aday-and everything is absolutely superb now, no huge spikes or drops and a HBA1C of 5.6 for the first time in 25 years. I've never been on a DAFNE course, but I was taught how to carb count and how to lower BG by the same method above i.e.1 unit =3mml but there has never been a consultant or gp that has ever suggested doing my lantus twice a day. It was only last year that I discovered from the forums that other people were doing this, so I thought have a go.....superb. No peaks and better than that no troughs either. Good advice above as far as I am concerned.
 
The diabetes consultant and nurse I've seen seem quite good, they've already mentioned that the levemir (long acting) might have to be split, I've got another appointment on mon so I guess she'll look at the figures and decide then.
 
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